Marin man faces child molestation and weapons charges

A Mill Valley man was arrested during a child abuse investigation that also uncovered a cache of weapons and ammunition in his home, authorities said.

Travis Matthew Foster, 37, is being held in the Marin County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail on a warrant for allegedly attempting lewd acts with a child under 14, arranging to meet a minor for a sex offense and mailing “harmful material” to seduce a child is irrelevant. The allegations stem from an investigation in Placer County.

Marin County sheriff's deputies also arrested Foster on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of an unregistered assault weapon and possession of a weapon without a serial number. His bond in those cases is $50,000, the sheriff's office said.

Foster was arrested on his way to work Thursday in connection with a Roseville police investigation. The department was conducting an undercover operation against people attempting to solicit sex from children over the Internet, Lt. Christopher Ciampa of the Roseville Police Department.

Marin sheriff's investigators executed a search warrant at Foster's residence in unincorporated Mill Valley.

“During the search, eleven unregistered firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition were located,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “The suspect in this case was convicted of a felony in 2019 and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.”

Foster remained in custody at the county jail Friday.

The Roseville sting operation, called “Gotta Catch Them All,” lasted four days and caught numerous suspects, including Paige McQuay, 56, a Fresno police sergeant, according to the Fresno Bee.